黄山 (Huáng shān) — Huangshan (Yellow Mountain, a mountain range in Anhui, China)

Definition

Proper name for the famous Yellow Mountain range in Anhui — a UNESCO site known for its pines, peaks, and sea of clouds. Used as a single place name without 的 when paired with verbs like 去 or 在.

noun
Huangshan (Yellow Mountain, a mountain range in Anhui, China)

Examples

  • 黄山。
    Wǒ míng nián xiǎng qù Huáng shān lǚ yóu.
    I want to travel to Huangshan next year.
  • 黄山。
    Huáng shān De fēng jǐng fēi cháng měi lì.
    The scenery of Huangshan is very beautiful.
  • 黄山。
    Hěn duō yóu kè xǐ huan zài Huáng shān kàn rì chū.
    Many tourists like to watch the sunrise at Huangshan.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

黄huángyellow
山shānmountain

黄 names the yellow color, and 山 names the mountain range.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 黃; 黄 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
田田tiánfield
Sound part声符shēngfú
炗
炗guāng黃huáng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 黃 pairs 田 (field) with 炗 (light), which gives the sound; the simplified 黄 is a shorthand and its parts are not historical components.

Open 黄 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

山 shows three mountain peaks side by side.

Open 山 →

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